“Welcome to New Leaf. I’m Katie Coos, the owner. Excuse me for not greeting you when you came in. The apron club is a little excited about our project this week,” She smiled brightly at Rylee. “How can I help you?”
Katie Coos. The name was instantly familiar to Rylee. “You probably don’t remember me. But I used to visit my Grandma. We stopped by the scrapbook and paper shop at least once a week, sometimes more if I could convince Grandma.” She laughed to herself. “I had so many craft and business ideas. I think Grandma was always glad to see me leave at the end of the summer, so she could rest.”
“Rylee Harper!” Katie said, and smiled. “Mom wanted me to be just like you, and I didn’t want anything to do with the scrapbook shop. I only wanted to play softball and swim in the river.”
“And now you own this place.”
“Yes.” Katie’s face darkened, and her eyes dropped to the floor. “Mom got sick and couldn’t keep up. I took the store over, but,” she shrugged, “scrapbooking never was my thing. I’ve always loved fabrics and textiles, and once I figured out how to sew, well…” Katie looked up, her eyes shining bright. “Here we are.”
“And she has one of the best shops in the northern part of Oregon. People come from all over to purchase her fabric and special order.” A dark-haired woman spoke as she cut into fabric, carefully following a pinned pattern.
Katie shook her head, but a smile tucked into her lips. “Friends. What would we do without them?”
Rylee’s chest ached as she thought of her best friend. She believed Ericka would have stood up for her no matter what, but that hadn’t happened.
“I’m looking for work.” Rylee pushed the sharply painful memories away. She cleared her throat. Her palms felt damp, and she resisted wiping them on her jeans. She gave Raisin’s leash a tight little tug. He looked up and leaned into her left leg, sensing she needed comfort. As a top designer in Vegas, she’d grown accustomed to not looking for work. Now, she felt awkward and uncomfortable, but she didn’t have any choice. Rylee squared her shoulders and faced Katie. “I wondered if you knew of anyone who might want a designer.”
“No. I’m sorry.” Katie turned to the women gathered around the table behind her. “Ivy? Gracie? Sasha? Do you know of anyone looking for a designer?”
“I wish,” Gracie said. “The River Rock Inn could use a new look in the rooms. But,” she shrugged, “it’s not exactly like business is booming in Cranberry Bay.”
“I would love help at the bakery, too.” Sasha’s piercing dark eyes darted to Rylee and then back to Katie. “But I can’t afford to hire anyone. Tiffany comes in on weekends, and I rope Tyler into helping me package up some of the mass orders for the sports team celebrations.” She smiled at Raisin. “But I do have one ten-year-old boy who would love to walk your dog if you need someone.”
“Thank you.” Rylee took a step backward and tugged on Raisin’s leash. “I’ll remember the offer.”
“I’m afraid I don’t need help either,” Ivy said from the left-hand corner of the table. “The antique shop isn’t exactly booming these days. Old items from attics and garages barely cover the bills. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.” Rylee fiddled with Raisin’s leash. “I’m sorry to have interrupted your sewing club.” Don’t give up, she told herself. This was just the first stop. She didn’t expect to find a job immediately. In the morning, she’d drive over to some of the towns along the coast and look for design work in the beach hotels.
“Wait.” Katie said. “If you’d like to sew, we’d love for you to join the sewing club. We’re just beginning this month’s apron pattern.”
“I do sew,” Rylee said, thinking of the bolts of unused fabric sitting in her grandmother’s sewing room and the sewing machine. “But…” Her mind raced for an excuse. She wasn’t in
Katie Coos. The name was instantly familiar to Rylee. “You probably don’t remember me. But I used to visit my Grandma. We stopped by the scrapbook and paper shop at least once a week, sometimes more if I could convince Grandma.” She laughed to herself. “I had so many craft and business ideas. I think Grandma was always glad to see me leave at the end of the summer, so she could rest.”
“Rylee Harper!” Katie said, and smiled. “Mom wanted me to be just like you, and I didn’t want anything to do with the scrapbook shop. I only wanted to play softball and swim in the river.”
“And now you own this place.”
“Yes.” Katie’s face darkened, and her eyes dropped to the floor. “Mom got sick and couldn’t keep up. I took the store over, but,” she shrugged, “scrapbooking never was my thing. I’ve always loved fabrics and textiles, and once I figured out how to sew, well…” Katie looked up, her eyes shining bright. “Here we are.”
“And she has one of the best shops in the northern part of Oregon. People come from all over to purchase her fabric and special order.” A dark-haired woman spoke as she cut into fabric, carefully following a pinned pattern.
Katie shook her head, but a smile tucked into her lips. “Friends. What would we do without them?”
Rylee’s chest ached as she thought of her best friend. She believed Ericka would have stood up for her no matter what, but that hadn’t happened.
“I’m looking for work.” Rylee pushed the sharply painful memories away. She cleared her throat. Her palms felt damp, and she resisted wiping them on her jeans. She gave Raisin’s leash a tight little tug. He looked up and leaned into her left leg, sensing she needed comfort. As a top designer in Vegas, she’d grown accustomed to not looking for work. Now, she felt awkward and uncomfortable, but she didn’t have any choice. Rylee squared her shoulders and faced Katie. “I wondered if you knew of anyone who might want a designer.”
“No. I’m sorry.” Katie turned to the women gathered around the table behind her. “Ivy? Gracie? Sasha? Do you know of anyone looking for a designer?”
“I wish,” Gracie said. “The River Rock Inn could use a new look in the rooms. But,” she shrugged, “it’s not exactly like business is booming in Cranberry Bay.”
“I would love help at the bakery, too.” Sasha’s piercing dark eyes darted to Rylee and then back to Katie. “But I can’t afford to hire anyone. Tiffany comes in on weekends, and I rope Tyler into helping me package up some of the mass orders for the sports team celebrations.” She smiled at Raisin. “But I do have one ten-year-old boy who would love to walk your dog if you need someone.”
“Thank you.” Rylee took a step backward and tugged on Raisin’s leash. “I’ll remember the offer.”
“I’m afraid I don’t need help either,” Ivy said from the left-hand corner of the table. “The antique shop isn’t exactly booming these days. Old items from attics and garages barely cover the bills. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.” Rylee fiddled with Raisin’s leash. “I’m sorry to have interrupted your sewing club.” Don’t give up, she told herself. This was just the first stop. She didn’t expect to find a job immediately. In the morning, she’d drive over to some of the towns along the coast and look for design work in the beach hotels.
“Wait.” Katie said. “If you’d like to sew, we’d love for you to join the sewing club. We’re just beginning this month’s apron pattern.”
“I do sew,” Rylee said, thinking of the bolts of unused fabric sitting in her grandmother’s sewing room and the sewing machine. “But…” Her mind raced for an excuse. She wasn’t in
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